Advanced Diploma in Information and Communications Technology in Applications Development

Purpose

The purpose of Advanced Diploma in Information and Communications Technology in Applications Development is to provide a professional and vocational qualification for the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) industry. This qualification will enable learners to apply advanced design, development, implementation and maintenance strategies and techniques in the development of software products and systems to meet specified industry needs, and effectively manage and administer them in a reliable and cost effective manner.

Rationale

Applications Development manifests in every facet of life, that is, mobile phone apps, ATMs and banking, television, medical equipment, finance and accounting, education, geographical information systems, motorcars and aeroplanes, social media and internet.

This qualification will provide the learner with advanced knowledge and skills to pursue rewarding career in application development.

The qualification also seeks to satisfy the South African demands for both public and private sectors in ICT.

Information Technologists are required locally, nationally, and internationally in the scientific, business and manufacturing industries. This qualification also naturally leads to a research Postgraduate Degree/Diploma.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Learners can use RPL demonstrate competence for admission to this qualification. This qualification is achievable in part through recognition of prior learning processes. Learners who already work in the ICT industry who believe they possess competencies to enable them to meet some or all of the Exit Level Outcomes listed in the qualification will be able to present themselves for assessment against those of their choice.

Recognition of Prior Learning facilitates access to an education, training and career path in ICT enabled fields and thus accelerates the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities.

Learners submitting themselves for RPL should be thoroughly briefed before the assessment and will be required to submit a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) in the prescribed format.

The structure of this non-unit standard based qualification makes RPL possible if the learner can demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this first stage ICT qualification.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National Diploma: Information Technology.

Or

• Diploma in Information Technology.

Or

• An equivalent qualification at NQF Level 6 in a cognate discipline.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory at NQF Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 7,120 Credits

• Research Methodology IV, 12 Credits.
• Projects IV, 24 Credits.
• Development Software IV, 12 Credits.
• Functional Management IV, 12 Credits.
• Software Engineering IV, 12 Credits.
• Application Technology IV, 12 Credits.
• Database Systems IV, 12 Credits.
• Information Technology Management IV, 12 Credits.
• Advanced Development Software IV, 12 Credits.

1. Demonstrate competency in applied research using appropriate research methodologies in the ICT environment.
2. Demonstrate competencies to manage ICT to provide organisations with strategically increasing productivity and quality of service.
3. Demonstrate competency in software engineering and modelling.
4. Demonstrate competency in developing appropriate advanced data structures and searching algorithms.
5. Integrate applications across heterogeneous platforms, particularly in a mobile environment.
6. Manage an integrated approach to information security across all aspects of the application development lifecycle.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Formulate a researchable problem.
• Produce a research proposal that demonstrates competencies in conducting academic research.
• Come up with questionnaire/s, collect and analyse data.
• Analyse useful application of research methodology to do academic research.
• Write a dissertation that includes (a minimum of) an introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis and result, and conclusion chapters.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of management functions such as planning, organising, leading and controlling.
• Demonstrate understanding of information infrastructure and architecture, benefits and issues of integrating functional information systems.
• Demonstrate competencies to manage for competitive advantage, diversity, globalisation, information and communication technology, ethical standards and self-management and happiness.
• Demonstrate skills to manage information technology to provide organisations with strategic advantage by facilitating problem-solving, increasing productivity and quality, increasing speed, improving customer service, enhancing communication and collaboration, and enabling business process restructuring adhering to the ethical standards.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Produce an accurate and compliant UML representation for a problem using an object-oriented principle for effective software reuse.
• Produce a clear class diagram for completing OOAD process from a given scenario.
• Choose an adequate software design methodology like RUP, Agile and Open Source Models from a given situation.
• Produce an appropriate relational data model for a given scenario.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Produce a non-trivial mobile application exhibiting specific characteristics for a community of users.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Produce a non-trivial mobile application exhibiting specific characteristics for a community of users.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Use an appropriate cross-cutting concern such as security and authentication in a design pattern to solve recurring problem.
• Identify a generalised abstraction model between the application logic and the system interfaces as software reuse criteria in the design.

Integrated Assessment

Assessments are designed to evaluate knowledge, competencies and skills from an academic perspective and the applied competencies (practical, foundational and reflexive competencies) required by this qualification. Assessments take a variety of forms including assignments/projects (individual or team), quizzes, written and practical tests and final examinations.